Fringe: Tremors
by lupinskitten
Summary: Nina Sharp is in over her head as she becomes entangled in science experiment that leads to murder; she questions her relationship with Prof. Bell and makes a life-changing decision. Sequel to "Flickers."
1. Chapter 1

It had been quiet on campus until a few moments earlier, when the students had started to appear out of the dorms and pull up in their cars, many of them plastered with peace signs. There was an old stone lion at the foot of the stairs at the main building and Nina Sharp was perched against it, a book propped up on her legs, white gloves and a wooly hat pulled low against her wispy red bangs. Her attention had remained on the algorithms in the text book, but she looked up and smiled as a familiar slender form crossed the snow-laden yard.

"Lauren," she said, "you're back!"

"Good as new and fully prepared to do mischief," her roommate answered, removing the strap of her book bag from her shoulder and dumping the thing in front of Nina. "Considering I still have fourteen stitches in my stomach, would you mind carrying my books?"

Her nose wrinkled upward in an apologetic stance but Nina suspected she was not as helpless as she professed. Nevertheless, the redhead gathered up her own things and carried Lauren's too, walking with her up the steps. Faces turned to watch them, murmurs following them down the hall, Lauren basking in the attention. What had happened had shocked the school; on-campus stabbings were rare and there had been several in the last semester, but Lauren was the only one who had returned. She was surrounded by curious onlookers, reassuring them she didn't remember anything. It was the same story she had told the police and Nina in the hospital room. "I don't know what happened," she said. "I only remember waking up."

Brushing onward and tucking a strand of light blonde hair behind her ear, Lauren turned to Nina and said, "Had I known almost being stabbed to death would get me this much attention, I might have done it sooner."

"Good to have you back, Lauren," a voice said and both girls glanced around.

The faintest flush crept into her face and Lauren said, "Thank you, Garret." She smiled at him shyly and glanced at Nina as they approached their first class of the day. "What? He's cute, don't you think?"

Not one inclined to bounce around between men as if they were pom-poms, Nina answered, "I think it would tear your stitches."

Lauren laughed as they pushed into quantum physics and she made her way up to her usual seat. Nina went with her but could not help glancing at the professor as he prepared his notes for the day, recognizing his handwriting at a glance. William Bell refrained from looking back at her but she knew he sensed her presence. Outside the laboratory or the corner booth in the little pub where they congregated, he ignored her. It was better that way. She handed over her friend's books and settled in beside her, taking out her notebook and a pencil, for like him she was a laborious note-taker. Once of the more popular teachers in the school, he waited until everyone was content and then handed a stack of pages to his teaching assistant.

"You will be pleased to know that some of you turned in extraordinary ideas for your term papers," he said. "The rest of you I am disappointed in, for you lack the originality of thought that you have become known for in the past. If you intend to _sleep_ through this semester in my class, you may want to consider changing your majors to something that does _not_ involve rational thought."

There were a few cringes as the students he was speaking to flinched. Nina was unconcerned as she took her thesis presentation out of the stack and passed the rest on. Her eyes widened. On the front was written, "C."

Lauren happened to glance over and her eyebrows lifted. They looked at one another and she mouthed, "Ouch."

Sticking her tongue in one side of her mouth, Nina looked up at him and just for a moment caught his eye. Bell revealed nothing in his countenance, even though he must have been aware of her anger. She returned her attention to the thesis proposal and his notes, which were even more scathing than usual. An angry flush crept up her neck and she tugged on the top of her turtleneck, cramming the pages into her book bag. She would yell at him later. Working her sweater arms up over her palms, a habit she had whenever she was annoyed, she began to draw circles in her notebook.

"I found your answers to my challenge on whether or not it is possible to overstep the boundaries of morality when it comes to science fascinating," he continued. "Some of you disappoint me in your narrow-mindedness, for under your principles we would never have advanced as far as we have. Scientists must take risks, sometimes great ones. Yet others showed an almost chilling lack of scruples. Would it be fair to say the Holocaust was a scientific experiment that went too far? Most rational people would say yes, but several of you argued that although their methods were evil, their single-mindedness was admirable."

Several people shifted uneasily in their seats. Bell leaned against his desk and crossed his arms, regarding them with an unusually disapproving air. "What would you say would be a reasonable line for a scientist never to cross?"

No one answered and then, tentatively, a hand lifted into the air. "Doctors take an oath to do no harm," said a girl in the back. "Would that not be a reasonable oath for a responsible scientist as well?"

"An admirable goal, certainly, but if you are attempting to find a cure for killing cancer cells by experimenting on gerbils, you are still doing harm." Bell shrugged, inviting anyone to challenge him.

"Human beings, then," said someone else. "We should endeavor never to do harm to human beings. The Nazis may have made tremendous advancements in science with their attempt to create a master race, but their methods certainly caused an immense amount of harm."

Bell lifted his chin. "Yet there comes a point in science when human testing is inevitable."

"Children, then," said Lauren.

Everyone looked at her in surprise, for she rarely said two words in class. While she was fine being the center of attention outside of it, she was somewhat embarrassed to have his attention focused on her and turned pink.

"Interesting," said Bell, "explain."

Moving slightly in her seat and digging her fingernails into the orange and brown pattern of her long skirt, Lauren said, "Test subjects are volunteers. They know there is a risk but they are either willing or desperate to take a chance that a cure may be found or that their suffering might aid in advancements of science. Children are innocent. They do not understand. Whatever is done to them is beyond their control."

"Not all testing is invasive," said Bell. "That is what most of you failed to understand. You took my question to mean something controversial when in reality science is testing new theories each and every day. Right now, in a classroom not far from here, children are being shown flash cards in sequence, to determine which of them has the greater capacity for learning. You raise a valid point, Lauren, but what I want you to understand as a collective student body is that you must broaden your mind and consider the possibilities. Science is not all atoms and neurons, it is not pink eyedroppers and rodent-testing, it is about stretching the boundaries of what we know as far as it can, until it snaps and either sends us hurtling backwards or thrusts us into the unknown."

There was an understanding wave of nods and he asked, "Now, shall we continue in our lesson?"

For the next hour they listened to a lecture and he invited them to contradict him, to challenge him. Some did, others didn't, and Nina remained unusually quiet. She was slow in gathering her things when the bell rang and said, "Lauren, find a boy to carry your books. I want to talk to him."

"Oh, that should be fun," said her roommate airily, and smiled as she passed the bag off on the nearest student. He took it without complaint and she accompanied him down the stairs and out into the hallway. Nina watched as Garret exchanged heated words with the professor and stormed out. She had not been the only one to be severely chastised. Clutching the thesis proposal in her hand, she made her way down to him and put it on his podium. He turned around from cleaning off the blackboard and she said, "A C? You have got to be kidding."

The door shut behind the last of her classmates and he dusted off his hands. The morning light made his eyes even richer than usual, the color of dark chocolate. Nina had been drawn to him since their first meeting, but this time was more annoyed than enthralled. "I would have given you a C- if not for your presentation."

Her mouth dropped open. "_What?_"

Glancing in the direction of the door, he leaned slightly toward her, his finger resting on the typeset cover sheet. "This has Walter Bishop written all over it. You ran your thesis concept past him, didn't you?"

Slightly insulted, she answered, "Of course, he offered some suggestions, but…"

"That was more than apparent," Bell interrupted, as annoyed as she was. "He derailed your concept and changed your focus from its original direction to what _he_ felt was important. Travel into alternate dimensions? _Really_?"

Now she was mad. Nina rounded the desk and followed him across the room, as he carried his notes to his office. The door swung shut behind him and she barged in regardless. "If you are implying that I let _Walter_—"

"I am not implying anything. I am saying if you expect a higher grade you need a better concept. Inspire me; don't bore me with things we have discussed a thousand times!"

"That is unfair. I spend hours with you two and I am not even allowed to use any of our discussions?"

He threw the pages in the general direction of his desk and they scattered to the floor, blown about by the overhead heater. It was obnoxiously loud and he raised his voice just enough for her to sense the tension in it. "Nina, the reason I enjoy having your input in our discussions is because your mind is not like mine or Walter's. You see possibilities we have never considered. You have the makings of a great scientist but if you allow him to change your perspective, you will _lose your focus_. Do not make me penalize you for not using your imagination."

The second bell rang. She had two minutes to get to class. Nina glared at him but was not willing to risk a late penalty from her math teacher just for the satisfaction of telling him off, so she shoved the thesis into her book bag and stormed out. She had spent hours with Bell in the laboratory, reading his notes and offering suggestions, and now he was treating her like one of his students! That annoyed her most of all. They were not equals, not in his mind or hers, because regardless of their fondness for one another, regardless of the months they had spent becoming friends and inching toward something more, regardless of how impressed he was with her mind, he was still the professor and she was still his student. This was his way of reminding her, warning her that what both of them wanted was improper, unethical, and dangerous.

Many times, she had wondered what it would be like. The thought excited as much as it intimidated her, for if anything happened and the faculty found out it would ruin both their reputations. His might recover, but hers would not. Everything she achieved would come into question. She hated it, hated it that he could not look at her in class, and he had to remain distant when all she wanted was to feel his arms around her, his hands caressing the curve at the base of her spine as he sent delicious sensations through her in a lingering kiss. Nina remembered the one time he had given in, how he had pressed her body against his and fought every instinct as he indulged in mild temptation. It should have emboldened her that she had such a hold over him, but instead all she found was frustration.

Pausing outside her classroom to gather her composure and smooth down her skirt, Nina entered and made it to her seat just as the professor appeared. She slid down slightly so he wouldn't know she had come in late. Lauren gave her an exaggerated wide-eyed look and Nina shook her head, drawing out her text book. She took notes, grateful for a distraction and constantly flicking her eyes between her text book and the blackboard. The lunch bell rang and knowing Lauren was about to descend on her, Nina snatched up everything and ran out of the classroom, pushing her way past her peers and making it out the front door ahead of them. She went down the steps and skidded around the corner of the building, ducking into the stairwell that led downstairs, where the students went to smoke joints. Butts littered the floor and she kicked them aside, pounding her fist against the brick wall and slumping against it. Melting snow dripped into the stairwell and produced an odd and unpleasant odor. Nina ignored it, looking up only when Lauren appeared at the head of the stairs.

"Are you all right?"

"Not really but I've had rotten days before. This too shall pass."

Glancing around to make sure she wasn't seen, Lauren came down. "I'm sorry."

"He didn't like it. I spent hours on that thesis summary. Days. Weeks. And he had the nerve to tell me that it didn't sound like me and it lacked _imagination_!"

Sticking her hands into her coat pockets, Lauren rocked back and forth on her heels. Nina made a sound of disgust and stared at the muck that littered the bottom step. Presently, quietly, she said, "You think I am a total idiot, don't you?"

"For being upset or for not banging Professor Bell?"

This produced a shocked laugh from Nina as Lauren came to lean against the wall beside her. They looked at one another and Nina realized how much she had actually missed her. Their dorm room had felt empty without her in the corner snapping her gum and turning up her stereo in an attempt to distract Nina from her studies. Yet at some point, Nina had come to like her. It was Lauren that had come after her, no one else; Lauren who knew her secret, how she felt about William Bell; Lauren who would never judge her.

"I don't think you are a total idiot," Lauren said. "I think you hate that you disappointed him. That's your problem, Nina. You try too hard to impress him. He _likes _you. He has _always_ liked you. You managed to make it into his much-coveted 'inner circle' and are the first female student to do so. You need to get out more. What are you doing this afternoon?"

Resting her head against the cold wall behind them, Nina asked wryly, "Other than studying?"

"Leave off studying and come with me."

"Where?"

Lauren laughed. "To the hospital; my sister called this morning, which is why I was late. I am apparently an aunt. We'll have to go for a bit of a drive, though. She's about an hour away. Will you come with me?"

Getting off campus and having a legitimate excuse not to see Walter sounded like a good idea. Nina nodded.

Her friend smiled. "Good. Now let's go have some lunch. I am starving and haven't had a decent meal in weeks, at least nothing that involved actual lettuce. Hospital food, not recommended."

"You really don't remember anything about what happened?" Nina asked as she followed her up the stairs.

Rounding the corner of the building, Lauren's scarf fluttered behind her in the breeze. "Nope, I don't even know where I was before I blacked out. All I remember about that night is coming around in the hospital with you and Bell standing over me. To be honest, I'm not sure I want to know."

Considering she had appeared out of thin air with a four inch cut in her stomach, Nina did not blame her.


	2. Chapter 2

They went inside and sat at their usual table, picking through the assortment of lunch food on their trays. Lauren launched into a particularly amusing explanation of all she had encountered at the hospital for the enjoyment of their friends and Nina listened with a smile. Most of their classes were together but not all and they met out front at the end of the school day. Nina watched Bell cross the lawn, heading for the laboratory, no doubt to finish the machine he was working on; an evening to be filled with good-natured bickering with Walter. For a moment, Nina felt a pang that she would not be there, but then Lauren appeared and she pushed it from her mind. Just for tonight, she would punish him.

Once in Lauren's station wagon, Nina pushed several hippie pamphlets out of the way, cranking on the old heater and shivering until it finally warmed up ten minutes down the road. The radio worked intermittently and they sang loudly whenever it went out, crackling in and out again as they went up and down hills and entered the city. A map was consulted and the directions they had been given were wrong, so they were later than anticipated pulling into the hospital. Information was given at the front desk and they made their way to the nursery wing, the door held open for them by a tall, thin, bald man in a fedora. Nina glanced after him, curious, for she thought she had seen him before.

"Come on," her friend nagged and ducked into the nearest room. Nina hesitated on the threshold, watching as her roommate embraced her sister. They were both blonde and had the same bright eyes and warm smiles. "Nina, meet my sister, Marilyn." Lauren stepped out of the way and Nina approached to take the woman's hand.

Marilyn beamed up at her and said, "So you are Nina. Lauren has told me all about you."

"Oh, well, I hope that is good," Nina answered.

They all laughed and Lauren moved around the bed to approach the bassinet. Nina saw a framed picture on the bedside table and picked it up. "Is this your husband?"

"Yes. He should be back soon."

The man was very attractive and kind looking in spite of his military uniform and serious expression. Nina replaced it and went to see the baby. Lauren was leaning over her, teasing her with her long blonde hair and cooing at her. The infant had her hand curled around Lauren's pinkie. She was round and flushed and wrapped in a fuzzy pink blanket. Like most newborns, she was undeniably ugly to everyone except her immediate family. Lauren turned to her sister, still keeping hold of her niece, and said, "I don't know how you managed it. She's so perfect."

"Nah," her sister said, "in a minute she will be screaming again. It has taken three nurses and four feedings to shut her up. Come here. I have something I want to show you."

Leaving the bassinet, Lauren did as she asked and the sisters curled up together on the hospital bed to look at photo albums. Nina wandered the space and went back to the baby, who opened her eyes and fixed them on her. They were enormous and full of mysteries but also an intensity that startled her. The baby was as fascinated as she was delighted, reaching out to touch the tiny fist with her finger. The little mouth parted and a gurgling sound came out, the baby banging its arms and legs excitedly against the blanket as her face contorted with happiness. Noticing her interest, Marilyn said, "You can pick her up if you like, although I will warn you, if she does decide to scream it will blow your eardrums."

Nina put her arms beneath the baby and lifted her, making certain to support the back of her head. The baby continued to stare at her, enraptured, her attention making Nina self-conscious. Carrying her over to the bed, she handed her to Lauren and asked, "Has she a name yet?"

The mother smirked. "No, as her father and I cannot seem to reach an agreement. For the moment the nurses are calling her 'Blondie.' " She reached out and tucked the blanket beneath the baby's chin, her eyes straying in the direction of the child's gaze. "Nina, I think she is quite taken with you and your red hair."

As if to illustrate a point, the baby kicked again at the bottom of the blanket and cooed.

Lauren said, "Well, then, she can be a surrogate aunt, and probably much better at it than me. Listen up, Blondie… you take after Nina and not me, okay?"

"Oh, come on," her sister said; "you are doing very well, all things considering. How _are_ you?"

She shrugged and indicated for Nina to take the baby so she could peel up her shirt to show off the mostly-healed wound across her stomach. "I will never be able to wear a bikini again, but I suppose it's better than being dead."

"You _suppose_?" Marilyn rolled her eyes and leaned back into the pillows.

The clock on the far wall was poised at two minutes to five. Visiting hours were nearly over. "Stay," Marilyn said as Nina put the baby into the bassinet, clutching her sister's hand. "John will be sorry if you go before he has seen you."

"I'll come back tomorrow and see him then. You need to rest."

Smiling, Lauren leaned over and kissed her sister, then swung her legs over the side of the hospital bed. She went to bid farewell to her niece in baby talk as Marilyn reached for Nina, encouraging her to approach. Glancing at her sister, she said softly, "Thank you for looking out for her. She told me some of what happened and that you were the one who found her. Please, thank Dr. Bell for me. The doctors say he saved her life."

"I will," Nina answered.

It was almost a relief to leave the room and wander down the hall, Lauren smiling at everyone who passed by and Nina feeling cold. She had _not _taken proper care of Lauren, had not noticed Lauren, had not been as true of a friend as she could have been, and to have Marilyn thank her for it felt wrong. For months she had ignored Lauren and tried to move into a different dorm room, but fate had kept them together.

They entered the elevator and started down, Lauren admitting at last, "I'm not really a baby person. You on the other hand… I think she fell in love with you."

"When you have hair this vibrant you stick out." Nina could not help smiling as they stepped out into the hall, their appearance coinciding with the arrival of John through the double doors. There was a moment of happiness as he and Lauren hugged and demanded to know how one another were doing. His eyes turned on Nina with curiosity and Lauren introduced them. He recognized the name and was pleasant, insisting they come back for celebratory drinks sometime soon as he continued on his way, eager to return to his wife and child.

Cold air hit them in a gust as they stepped outside, the sun sinking into the horizon. They raced to the car and slid inside, shivering as they waited for the heater to warm up. The drive back was comfortable, wrapped in a pleasant silence. Nina stared out the window until her companion asked, "Do you ever want to get married?"

Remembering her parents' tempestuous marriage, Nina shuddered. Marriage in her mind meant restrictions, limitations, giving up your career to further that of someone else. Her mother was the most oppressed female on the planet, constantly catering to her husband's every whim. And he liked it that way. She answered, "I haven't given it much thought; how about you?"

Lauren rested her arm against the door and shrugged. "I think it might be nice, but I don't know, fighting your way up the corporate ladder and reaching a position where you can boss all the men around could be fun too." She glanced at her sideways, the lights of the car in front of them fading in and out of the trees. "So what is it, this thing you have with William Bell? Do you think it's just sex or something else?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. There are times when I look at him and don't know whether I want to stay with him the rest of my life or get away from him as fast as I can." Nina leaned her head against the seat and watched the passing road signs. There was something alluring about him but also frightening; while he shared her obsession with scientific advancement, he often disagreed on how far it must be taken. He was more sensible than Walter in that respect, for nothing was outside Walter's realm of possibility and in his mind no consequence was too high, but Nina was considerably more conservative than he was when it came to casualties. They were a dangerous pair and she often wondered if she was not needed to stabilize them, like the dampening ingredient to an explosive compound.

Reaching out to adjust the heat, Lauren glanced at her and for once did not comment. Nina was grateful, watching a few new snowflakes drift against the windshield. The lights of the campus gleamed out of the darkness and they pulled into the student lot, parking and locking the car even though no one would remotely want to steal it. Lauren clambered over the snow bank and slid down beside her, walking with her into the dorms. The stairwell was cold but once they entered the second floor and pushed through the door, the warmth of the heating system compelled them to remove their scarves. Nina entered their room and hung up their coats, retrieving Lauren's from the floor where she had dropped it as she went to collapse on the bed.

"I want pizza," Lauren said. She lay there for a moment and then went down the hall to use the phone. Nina sat down at her desk and switched on the light, noticing an envelope that bore Walter's curvaceous penmanship. She pulled out the slip of paper.

_Come to the lab when you can_.

"Not on your life," she said, and chucked it into the wastebasket.

It felt strange to stay in the dorm that evening, cross-legged on the bed while she, Lauren, and several other girls split a large, extra-cheesy pizza and washed it down with swigs of beer. Normally she would have been eating Chinese takeout with the boys. Nina never drank but made an exception, staying relatively quiet in her corner and pondering what to do about her thesis. She had only a few weeks to come up with a new topic and nothing appealed to her. She was angry at Bell but also knew he was not wrong; of late she had been using Walter as a means of achieving mental stagnation. Lauren was right; she needed time away from it all, something else to do.

Picking up their trash and leaving the other girls to gossiping about the men in their lives, Nina took it out into the hall and found the bin overflowing. Sighing, she gathered up as much as she could in a single bag and carried it downstairs. The cold was invigorating as she ran out to the bigger bins and dumped it, the drowsy scent of marijuana causing her to pause and peer around the corner. A figure leaned against the wall, one hand in his coat pocket, the spark at the end of the joint reflecting in his dark eyes. Removing it from his lips and blowing a stream of smoke upward, he asked, "Want one?"

Nina walked in his direction, declining as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Are you all right? You were upset this morning when you left class."

His mouth curved upwards and Garret took another puff, dropping it to the ground and grinding the butt into the pavement. He blew the smoke out and asked, "Our esteemed professor told me my idea was, as he put it, 'predictable and contrite,' and encouraged me to consider a better use of my time—stocking shelves."

The joint had put him in a complacent state of mind but he was still irritated, running his hand through his hair and moving away from her. Nina knew him fairly well as one of the brighter minds in the college but was also aware that Bell disliked him. This was not the first time they had disagreed. She chose to say nothing and he turned back to her.

"What burns me the most is that he's such an arrogant prat most of the time. He doesn't even pretend to be open minded; he just dismisses me out of hand. I got into this school on a _science_ scholarship. I scored higher on my entrance exams than any of his other students, yet for some reason it's always me who is wrong. Why?"

She shook her head, having no answers for him. Bell did not discuss his students with her.

With a sigh, he relaxed and said, "Eh, it doesn't matter in the long run. I'll just try harder."

"That is really the only thing we can do," she admitted, longing to return indoors.

Pushing his hands deeper into his pockets, he said, "I'm glad Lauren is all right."

"I'm sure she would like to hear that from you," Nina answered. "I'm sorry, Garret… I am about to freeze."

"That's okay; I should go to the library before it closes." He waved her off and continued on his way, a slight slump to his posture as he made his way across the lawn. Nina rounded the corner of the building and went up the steps, the sound of a voice stopping her as her heart dropped into her feet.

"Nina!" Walter caught up with her and she lamented that the warmth of the building would have to wait. "Nina, what is it? You didn't come by this evening. I had something important to tell you!"

Hopping up and down and deciding she couldn't stand it, Nina opened the door to the building. He followed her inside. Male visitors were not allowed but that hadn't stopped anyone in the past. "I had something to do, I'm sorry."

Trailing her up the staircase, Walter scoffed, "Like what?"

"Not everything revolves around your experiments, Walter." Nina entered the upstairs hall and felt relief as heat poured over her. She started forward and he pulled her back, concern overcoming his face as his own irritation faded.

"What happened? This isn't like you. Did you have a fight with William?"

Her brows shot upward and with overt innocence she said, "I never fight with William."

"I know you don't, hence why I asked."

Aware that this was not a conversation to have in the hall, she removed her arm from his grip and continued on her way. "We did not have a 'fight,' he merely reminded me of my place."

Unbuttoning his coat, he said, "Oh, for the love of… would you two just _get on with it_ already?"

His last statement caught the attention of everyone in her room and she froze as a half dozen pair of eyes looked at her with open curiosity. Lauren hesitated with a stripe of candy in one hand and Nina said, "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Waiting until the last of them had moved out into the hall, she shut the door behind them and hissed, "What is _wrong _with you?"

Walter rolled his eyes and wandered the small space, reaching out to tap on a glass jar containing marbles. "It has been obvious since I introduced you two where this was headed. Either get on with it or get over it, because frankly the tension between you is distracting. We are working on a new machine and I need him _focused_."

"Oh, well, thank you for the sage advice. Considering you have slept with the last _two girls_ you have experimented on, I really look up to you as a moral compass. In case you have forgotten, your friend, your science partner, the man you need _focused_ right now is a _professor at this college_!"Nina lowered her voice to a whisper.

He turned to her with annoyance flickering across his handsome face. He was three years ahead of her and had known Bell since his first day; while he had always been her closest friend he also was not afraid to fight with her. Crossing the room, he answered, "Don't pretend you think the way the rest of the world does. From the start you have agreed with us that progress is never made through adhering to ethics. Stop being such a hypocrite."

She glared up at him and twisted the handle of the door open, snapping her finger and pointing the way out.

"Don't you want to know why I wanted you to come to the lab tonight?"

Placing one hand on her hip, Nina said, "Why?"

"To meet Elizabeth, the woman I am going to marry. William had to make excuses for you."

It was as if he had knocked the air out of her. Nina stared at him. "You're getting married?"

"Yes, and you would have known sooner if you hadn't been so selfish as to ignore my invitation." He stared at her with such intensity that she wavered and her face reddened. He was her best friend and she was the last to know. Nina started to speak and he ignored her, brushing past the girls in the hall without a second glance and vanishing into the stairwell. Kicking the door shut behind him, Nina collapsed on the bed. There was a pause before Lauren entered and came to sit beside her. She stretched out on her side, propping her head up on her hand, and stared at Nina until she opened one eye and lifted her head slightly from the pillow. She offered Nina a jar of twisted red candies and her friend took one.

Turning onto her back and staring at the ceiling as she sucked on the end of the strip, Nina said, "Sometimes I hate both of them."

"Most men are aggravating most of the time, but we put up with them because they can open jars for us."

Nina smiled at the generalization and said, "I saw Garret outside. He asked about you." She glanced over at her friend.

Tugging the candy apart with her teeth, Lauren said, "He's sweet, driven, smart… he rather reminds me of you."

"Well, you might want to stay away from him, then."

They looked at each other and smirked, Nina feeling better as Lauren got up to change and go to bed. The leggy blonde pulled off her shirt and examined the scar in the mirror, her fingertips tracing its contours. Her expression changed, losing much of its former happiness. It was unclear what was going through her mind, but she pulled on another shirt and crawled into bed. She was asleep when Nina returned from the bathroom and shut out the lights.

Sleep soon came but vibrating floorboards awakened her hours later, the tremors originating from Lauren, who moved restlessly against her pillow. Shelves overhead shook against the walls and a text book dropped off the end, flattening the contents of the wastebasket. Pencils rolled across her desk onto the carpet, the heater traveling slightly across the room. Nina threw back the covers and went to her, attempting to hold her down so she wouldn't hurt herself. She had never seen anything like it and felt helpless, attempting to wake her as the room shook around them. "Lauren!" she cried.

The girl's eyes snapped open and her hand latched onto Nina's arm. Suddenly they were no longer in their dorm room; in a rush of color and sound they were transported into the coldness of a bitter winter night, standing at a crossroads. Lauren was beside her, turning to her with surprise and reaching out her hand. "Nina?"

A car turned the corner and appeared, swerving on the ice and heading right for them; it passed through their ghostly forms and plunged over the embankment. Nina looked down at her hands and saw them fading out as they flickered back into the dorm. They released one another as awareness returned and she lifted her fingers, staring at them. Nothing had changed, her small wrists not even trembling. The room had stopped shaking.

Lauren sat up, brushing the hair out of her face. "How did you do it? I've never taken anyone with me before!"

Doors opened in the hall, frightened voices inquiring whether or not it had been an earthquake. Nina got up to answer a demanding knock on the door, lying to them with convincing boldness; no, she didn't know what had happened. Curious faces soon withdrew once again and all conversation died down; it was not the first unusual thing that had happened at the school, nor would it be the last. She shut the door and leaned against it, turning to her companion and finding Lauren had risen.

"You know, don't you?" said her roommate. "You found out somehow."

The secret was out; there was no further use in protecting it.

Nina admitted, "You are not the only one who does it. Walter calls it 'traveling,' the transportation of a soul into a different place. It is our scientific explanation for ghosts, since travelers are drawn to places in which traumatic experiences have taken place. Last autumn we were attempting to find out how it worked, running an experiment, the same night you appeared. I don't know what happened but I think you traveled more than just your spectral form. You changed actual physical locations, which is something we have never seen before." She wound her long hair into a bun and held it there, thinking. Lauren sank back down onto the bed. "I'm sorry, Lauren… I should have seen it sooner. I was distracted."

The space heater continued to hum in the background, Lauren reaching out to nudge it with her foot and turn the blast toward them. "You said there are others… are you one, too?"

"Me? No, no, I'm not. I've never experienced anything so… unnerving."

Well, except for encountering the ghost-forms; that was somewhat unnerving.

Lauren drew in her breath and released it. "I fade in and out when I am upset or having a nightmare. Marilyn used to try and hold me down as you did, but she never came with me. There must be something different about you."

Her eyes narrowed with speculation and Nina felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny. She moved across the room and sat down on her bed. "Do you often have bad dreams?"

"Yes. But they have been getting worse since I was attacked, bringing back memories." Shaking hands smoothed down her hair, tucking it behind her ears and then pressing her palms against her knees. "My mom was married to a real prize. He used to smack her around and… he would have smacked Marilyn too if it weren't for me. I was younger, smaller, but I hated hearing her cry so I always mouthed off to him first so he would hit me. One day he hit me so hard my head smashed into the wall, and that's when I started traveling. My heart rate speeds up, fear sets in and I… leave temporarily. He finally drank himself to death one night. He went away but the traveling didn't. That's why I was so happy when Marilyn met John. He's kind to her, not at all like our dad. You know, they say most daughters marry someone like their father. I'm just glad she didn't pick an abusive SOB."

Warmth crept across Nina's feet as the heater continued to put out gusts of air, but the rest of her felt cold. William believed all travelers were created by traumatic childhood experiences. "_Childhood is when your mind develops, when your personality appears, when you give indications of what you may become, and when you can be most easily altered or influenced_," he had once told her. It made her sick to think of the causes behind traveling. But there was something different about Lauren; she had changed. Travelers did not take people with them, could not latch onto the energy of another human soul and drag it through time. Yet standing in the middle of the deserted road had been real, the car passing through them not just a dream. Nina could still hear the screeching of tires. The energy of the room had been concentrated, negative and fear-filled, and it had combined with her emotions.

Aware that she had not spoken, Nina said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I can do to help you, but we will think of something. You don't have to be afraid. You are safe now. Your father is dead, and the man who attacked you is not here. You protected yourself and got away from him. He cannot harm you. I'll even lock the door if it will make you feel better."

Wiping dampness from her eyes, Lauren nodded and climbed under the covers as Nina obliged. Outside, fresh snowflakes drifted through the night sky as she turned over and tried to sleep. Nina found it difficult, concentrating on the noise of the heater until at last she retreated into nothingness.

The next morning she arose before anyone else and dressed quietly, slipping on her boots and making her way downstairs. As much as it pained her to face him, she had to speak with William. He spent most of his early mornings in the laboratory, finding a quiet time in which to conduct his research while Walter slept in, unless he had spent the night at the lab. She ran across the snowy landscape and turned her key in the latch, finding the room in its usual disarray. Whatever they had been working on the night before was spread across the table but she didn't even glance at it as she crossed to his office and knocked.

"Come in," he answered.

He was checking calculations, a scarf around his neck for in spite of the space heater the room had not warmed up. It was too dangerous to leave on when anyone was out of the building. He glanced up and an unknown emotion crossed his face as she entered, closing the door behind her. Nina caught her breath and the tension was palpable. He pushed back his chair and arose as he lowered his pencil to the desk. After a lengthy pause she stepped forward. "Lauren traveled last night. I tried to stop it and _she took me with her_."

The weight of her words caused his eyebrows to arch upward. "So it _is_ possible. Walter and I have been studying a similar theory but we assumed a catalyst would be needed. She just _took you with her_? How? What happened?" He guided her to a chair, removing a stack of journals and pushing her gently down into it. His dark eyes were alight with fascination, intense in the shadows as he leaned against the desk. She could read the excitement in his stance, the eagerness that accompanied any potential advance in their research.

Shaking her head, Nina said, "I don't know. I can only assume her energy combined with mine somehow."

"Tell me," he insisted, "everything."

Nina explained as well as she could and allowed him to contemplate in the silence that followed. He tapped his fingers on the desk and got up to pace the room. "Something happened to her that night," he said at last. "She changed. He did something to her."

"She cannot remember what happened."

"We must _make_ her remember. Do you think she would decline if we wanted to include her in an experiment?"

Knowing Lauren, she would not turn down anything that got her in the same room with Walter and William, but Nina was not entirely certain she wanted her there. "What kind of experiment?"

"Walter and I have been working on a machine that would allow a secondary individual to experience the memories of another person through mental stimulation. We believe if the neural patterns of each can be activated at the same time, it is possible for information to be transmitted from one mind to another. Of course, there would be some risk to you."

This caught her attention and she tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"She apparently has a strong connection to you. It would be most likely to work if you agreed to be the conduit. If our hypothesis is correct, Lauren would enter a state of hypnosis and you would experience her memories."

He crossed his arms and waited for her response. Nina knew he suspected she would not do it, for she had always been one to calculate the risks and take the less dangerous route instead of the most direct one. There was just enough defiance lingering from the day before that she lifted her chin and said, "I could bring her around tomorrow. Would that be soon enough?"

He indicated it would be and waited until she was at the door, her hand on the handle to remark, "You know if you put half that determination to prove me wrong into your thesis, you will more than exceed my expectations."

Mischief lurked behind his gaze and Nina sent him a particularly scathing look as she strode out into the lab, but as she crossed the room and left, the faintest hint of a smile touched her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Other girls might have been intimidated at the prospect of being part of an experiment but Lauren was delighted. She had wanted to see the laboratory ever since Nina had confided its existence and was pleased to have the full attention of Walter as he explained their findings to her and everything they knew about her capabilities. He had not said anything to Nina but she sensed he was relieved that she and William were getting along once again, or at least had put their disagreements aside temporarily. She had not apologized for ignoring his invitation to meet Elizabeth but he seemed to have forgiven her. "You will see a lot of her," he admitted with a smile.

"I am having a hard time picturing you getting married," she admitted. "But you will be a wonderful husband and father. Just keep your children out of the laboratory."

And all was well with them once more. Nina had been welcomed back into their confidence. She had examined their machine and suggested a few modifications, which both agreed improved the process.

"You are certain you wish to do this?" Bell asked as they watched Lauren lay down on the table. Walter went around sliding her hands and feet into restraints, which seemed to slightly disconcert her.

She looked at him. "Don't you want me to?"

"Not if you are uncomfortable with it."

"Well, since when did we let that stop us?" Nina lay down against the cold surface, feeling a hint of fear as Bell secured her restraints. She did not like being held down. The inside of his finger tickled the skin of her wrist as he watched Walter prepare, the touch discreet but meaningful as he reached for the IV. Nina felt a sharp pinch and a sting as he put it in her arm, expertly taping it into place and checking the drip.

"It's just a sedative to clear your mind," he said.

She nodded and he moved around the other side of the table, brushing back her hair and lowering the machine onto her head. She could feel the electrical impulses it radiated tickling her senses as the drug began to take effect. Drowsiness spread through her and she relaxed, the tension in her limbs abating. Bell kept his hand on her arm, his voice no more than a murmur in the back of her mind.

"Lauren," she heard Walter say, "listen to my voice and follow me backward from ten."

She seemed no longer capable of coherent thoughts, drifting aimlessly and conscious only of his touch. Bell checked her vitals and altered the drip, slowing it. He permitted his friend to do most of the talking.

"I want you think back to that night we found you. What happened?"

"I don't know… I only see the darkness…"

Bell stepped away from her and she felt pressure against her head as the machine's current intensified. Pain flickered behind her eyes. She reacted, her body convulsing slightly as her mouth opened, drawing in her breath. She felt something stronger take hold of her and instantly shifted elsewhere, lurking about the edges of Lauren's consciousness. Both of them were half-drugged and incoherent but she was lying on a table with a bright light shining down on her, her hands fastened down. The image blurred and retreated only to come in again, incapable of making out the figure standing over her. His face was in the shadows and his voice garbled but she understood.

"This won't hurt much; it should only take a few seconds. Then you will be good as new."

She attempted to respond but could not, feeling the effects of the drugs. She could make out the sharp scalpel as it descended toward her midsection. Fear crept through her and took hold, her hands tightening in the restraints as everything began to shake. She felt pain as he cut into her and heard him curse as everything began to vibrate, the room receding around her until she was incapable of controlling her reaction. Nina reappeared in the darkened corridor of the school, and saw her own face looking back at her in horror as she removed her hand from her waist, revealing blood-coated fingers.

Nina came to life with a terrified gasp, only the restraints preventing her from bolting upward. Bell tore the instrument off her head and attempted to calm her down, reassuring her that she was all right. The heart monitor was going at twice its usual rate and she did not say anything at first, staring up at him in relief. He unhooked her left hand and she gripped the front of his black shirt, clutching the lapel. Her head turned and she saw Lauren was still under, completely quiet.

Walter abandoned her and came forward. "What happened? Did it work?"

She pulled out the IV and sat up drawing in a deep breath and feeling them steady her, as the sedative swayed her emotions. "There's a reason she doesn't remember… she doesn't want to. Someone was cutting into her. He said she would be good as new. He must have given her something…"

"The doctor said her blood alcohol level was extraordinarily high," Walter said. "It's possible he concealed the drug in such a way that it would appear as normal intoxication. But it _worked_?"

"In a way, yes… but it was hazy."

"That is probably whatever drug was in her system at the time; you cannot collect precise data from corrupted brainwaves." He returned to his patient and removed the sedative, bringing her out of it.

Nina swung her legs over the side of the table and Bell said, "You shouldn't move for awhile."

"I'm fine," she answered, and got down only to be forced to grab hold of him as her legs buckled.

He assisted her to the nearest chair. "I told you, that was no ordinary sedative. You won't feel much for about an hour." He tilted her head upward and looked into her eyes with a pen light, finding her pupils dilated. "You're sure you are all right?"

"I'm fine, other than a memory that will give me nightmares for weeks. What are we going to tell her?"

Sticking his hands in his pockets and straightening up, Bell glanced across at Lauren and said, "Nothing. You said she was having nightmares. Her mind is manifesting her fears even if consciously she does not remember them. It would only disconcert her to tell her what you saw. As far as she is concerned, it did not work. You did not see him clearly?"

"No, and his voice was muffled." Nina rubbed her temple, nursing the beginnings of a headache.

Bell was quiet, contemplative as he turned away from her and consulted the machine. Walter brought her a glass of a thick substance and told her to drink it. Inside was what tasted like a strawberry milkshake. It made her feel better but she still lacked energy and curled up in her chair, resting her head against its back and fighting the drowsiness that accompanied the sedative. Lauren came around eventually and when she had recovered Walter awakened Nina, finding that other than the cramp in her neck for sleeping in such an odd position she had returned to normal. Stretching, she got up and retrieved her coat, noting that Bell had left.

"I hear it was a dismal failure," remarked Lauren as she pulled on her jacket, "but ah well, the high was nice." She smiled and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go back to the dorm; I have a date tonight. See you, Walter."

He waved at them as they left and returned to his machine, muttering under his breath as he thought aloud. The evening light felt harsh to their sensitive eyes and Nina flinched as they stepped out into it, turning up her collar and increasing her pace as she crossed the lawn. It was nice to retreat indoors and go up to their room, listening as Lauren chattered in the background as she readied for her date. Nina opted to remain there after Lauren went out, most of the dorm mates with similar plans, but a few remained, their doors open and silence wavering throughout the building other than the hum of space heaters. Only serious students remained behind, studying on a Saturday night. They decided to pool their resources and order Chinese, splitting it up between the boxes and Nina ate while finishing an essay. She glanced in her notebook at her thesis notes and shut it again, shelving it and pulling on her coat.

Snow crunched underfoot as she made her way across the street, turning into the bar where this time of night she could always find "her boys" in the back booth. Bell was there and she slid in across from him, noticing that he did not move his foot away from hers under the table. "You have forgiven me, then," he remarked from his corner.

Removing her jacket and brushing the hair out of her eyes, Nina said, "Not really."

"I am only doing this in your best interest."

"I'm sure you are, but that does not abate the sting." She ordered something light from the waitress and asked, "Where's Walter?"

"Making modifications to his machine; it will be just us tonight." Bell tapped his fingernails on the table and looked across at her beneath the dim light. Smoke was heavy in the air and no one showed any interest in them, tucked away in the back. His collar was undone and his hair slightly tousled, for once not looking particularly like an academic.

Sipping her drink, Nina was quiet for a time and then said, "I know why Lauren panicked. He had her confined. It reminded her too much of what happened in her childhood. She was so frightened that she generated enough energy to transport herself out of that room, out of those restraints, and into a place where she felt safe."

"Never underestimate the power of fear," Bell answered. "It is an enormous motivator."

He turned his glass in the lamplight, the amber liquid within shimmering. He was actually drinking something harder than club soda tonight. She crossed her legs under the table, deliberately brushing against his leg with her foot. It caused him to shift his focus to her and the response in his eyes was not entirely platonic. Holding his gaze, she asked, "Is there anything you are afraid of, William?"

"I am afraid of what we might do. I am afraid of what Walter is capable of. I am afraid he may do something that will threaten the delicate balance of our universe. I am afraid you and I cannot stop him. And I am afraid of what I might have to do to counter-balance his mistakes."

The grim tenor of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Sometimes, she thought about that too, what the three of them were capable of. They had made discoveries that would baffle the minds of greater intellectuals simply because they were fearless when it came to the limits of their imagination. She saw it in all of them, a ruthlessness that would not be denied when it came to pursuing an end. How calmly Bell had asked her to volunteer Lauren and herself for an experiment, how determined she had been to show him up, how cold Walter had been throughout the entire process. A rueful smile came to her lips and she shook her head. "My mother once told me I would have to learn to put people ahead of my ambition. I think she feared I wouldn't."

"Have you?"

"No, I haven't. I met Lauren's sister the other day and she thanked me for looking after her. If only she knew the truth. I am very fond of her, concerned for her, but something in me suspects I would never have responded to her if she did not interest me. But then, I am not the only one like that, am I, William?"

He could not deny it; part of his fascination with her was her mind, her intelligence, her potential. He did not answer, crossing his arms in the back of the booth.

Nina pushed her drink aside and said, "It was not a random act of violence. He was rational, calm; sincere in his promise to help her. He meant it, and that's what frightens me the most. We have to find him. We have to stop him, because if he was thwarted once he will try again. Whatever he knows about her… whatever she can do… I cannot let her sister down again."

The noise of the room retreated into the background and she shook her head. She shouldn't be here with him; she should be keeping an eye on Lauren. Gathering her things, she slid out of the booth and was halfway out the door when he caught up with her. He came without an invitation but she was grateful for his presence as she walked down the street to the usual hangout, where Lauren liked to take her dates. The club was packed and smelled of a mixture of vomit, alcohol and joints as she pushed her way inside. More than one man eyed her with interest but did not approach, put off by the tall, dark companion at her side. She pushed her way to the balcony and stared down onto the dance floor, searching through the gyrating bodies until she spotted Lauren. She was toward the far wall, talking with Garret, his shyness apparent as he watched her hair swish in the flickering lighting. The music was so loud it hurt her ears. She turned to her companion and behind them someone passed and bumped into Bell, knocking him into her. Nina caught her breath at the feel of his body against hers, his hand brushing hers on the railing as he steadied himself. Her heart quickened and he did not pull away for a moment, caressing the contours of her face with his eyes.

"I can't be seen with you," he said.

"I know. You go. I'll stay."

He was reluctant to leave her there but pulled back and vanished into the crowd. Nina faced forward once again, watching Garret lean in to whisper into Lauren's ear. She laughed and sat back in her chair. A hand appeared in front of her, holding out a drink. Nina followed it upwards to find a handsome face looking at her expectantly. "I don't think so," she said, pushing his offering away.

"Oh, come on. You're alone. I'm alone. Make the most of it." He held it out to her again.

Bemused and a little annoyed, Nina said, "I don't drink, especially not with strangers."

"Ah, one of those, are you?" His glance shifted downward and then came up again, "buttoned up. I can help."

This caused her to smile. "Does insulting them actually work with most girls?"

"You're the first one to give me a hard time, Red."

He was cute, but obnoxious. Nina smiled at him and pushed away the drink. "Not interested."

Knowing she was a lost cause, he skulked away into the crowd, to find another conquest. When she turned back, she had lost them. Lauren and Garret had vanished. She craned her neck looking for them and turned up nothing. Wondering if they had gone out the back, she made her way down the stairs and into the darkened hall. Passing several couples groping one another in the shadows, Nina found the door into the alley and left through it, grateful when the throbbing music retreated into a distant hum. She looked in either direction and seeing no one, chose to go right. It was creepy in the alley and her skin tingled as she quickened her pace, at one point disturbing a cat that hissed at her and ran off. Nina stopped to catch her breath and continued on, emerging onto a side street. She knew she had gone the wrong way and cursing under her breath, returned the way she had come, increasing her stride in the hope of catching up with them. Lauren wouldn't mind.

Something moved in the shadows and she halted, fear creeping over her. It had been stupid to come out here alone. She backed away and started running, rounding the corner and slamming into a figure. He caught hold of her and she struggled until he said, "Nina, it's me! I came back for you."

Nina allowed him to walk her back into the haze beneath the street lights. There were more people around and she kept close to him, grateful for his reassuring presence. Bell's hand remained in hers, squeezing her fingers as he walked her back to the dorm. He could not hide the concern in his eyes as he bid her good night, both of them silently pondering what might have happened if he had not intervened. Nina went up to her room praying Lauren would be found within. She was, seated on the bed, and smiled as Nina entered flushed from the cold.

"There you are! You did go out! Good for you. Now you have to come and hear all about Garret. He really is very sweet. He didn't even want to kiss me goodnight, if you can believe that! And I am back before midnight. Can you believe it? What insanity!"

Shutting out the noise of the hall, Nina removed her outer garments, half listening as her friend continued to talk in the background. She went to the window and brushed aside the curtain, staring across the moonlit grounds. Though she could make no one out in the shadows beneath the elms, she still shuddered.


	4. Chapter 4

_The room was clearer now, the space defined with plastic. She tried to move her arms and couldn't, glancing down to find her hands strapped at the waist to the table. Twisting her head, she looked all around her and stared in increasing fear at the instruments on the side table. "Please," she whimpered, "please let me go."_

_ He ignored her as he prepared the cleansing liquid, his broad back all she could see. Gentle fingers brushed the hair back from her face and she cringed, loathing the touch of his rubber gloves. She whimpered. _

_ "There, there," he said. "This won't take long and you won't remember it." _

_ Moving around to the side, he tapped on the IV drip and made certain it ran into her arm. Her hands tightened into fists and she tugged at the restraints. "No," he said, "don't do that, you'll hurt yourself. Lay still, Lauren."_

_ Haze swam in front of her eyes and she said, "Go to hell."_

_ "I am trying to help you, to learn from you." His fingertips brushed against her waist and she flinched as he drew up her shirt. She thrashed again and his hand tightened. "Stop," he said warningly and lifted the scalpel. Her eyes widened and she ceased moving, the room beginning to dim around her. The faintest of sounds escaped her mouth, having no effect on him as he lowered the blade, glinting, to her skin. He shifted, went out of focus, and though she could not clearly see his face, she saw concern enter his stance. "Lauren, stop it!"_

_ She was shaking all over and the instruments on the table beside him began to clatter together as it rolled away from her. He pressed the knife against her skin, threatening her to stop, and that only made her vibrate harder. It sliced into her and she screamed, the sound echoing in the space around her…_

Nina sat straight up in bed, her hand going to her throat and then to her waist as she looked around her into the darkness. She was safe in her dorm and no figure loomed over her, but the dream had been vivid. She was damp with sweat and trembling, looking over at Lauren to find her peacefully asleep against the pillows. Her heart was beating fast. Pushing aside the covers, she went out into the hall and crossed to the bathroom. There was enough light to catch her reflection in the mirror and she was struck by her pale features. Running her hands under the cold water, she splashed it onto her face and tried to regain her composure. She ran shaking fingers through her hair and pulled it back from her face, lowering her gaze until she could breathe properly again. They hadn't told her more memories might come back, things she had experienced in Lauren's head but hadn't been consciously aware of at the time.

"Are you all right, Nina?" asked one of her dorm mates, from the doorway. She had been up late studying.

"I'm fine, just a bad dream." Nina stepped out of the bathroom and returned to their room. She was clammy as she climbed back into bed, sliding nearer to the wall and wrapping the coverlet around her. There were always consequences to their actions, results that came about from them tampering with the natural order. This was just one of them, but still she could not shake the terror she had felt, trapped, held down on that table as he moved over her, his plastic gloves tracing the contours of her waist. Whatever he wanted, whatever his intention, it was evil.

She was so tired that she slept in later than Lauren the next day and her roommate did not attempt to wake her. Nina arose shortly before noon, relieved it was the weekend, and walked to the library. Months earlier, when Lauren had first been attacked, there had been similar noted incidents in the news, several young women knifed on campus. She could not be certain there was a connection but it was worth perusing the archives and she went to sit in the coldest part of the building for privacy, turning through pages until she found the series of newspaper stories. None of them bore any resemblance to what had happened to Lauren and one of them had been later solved as a domestic dispute between a temperamental young man and his ex. "You weren't just a coincidence," she remarked to Lauren's faded photograph on the front page. "He chose you because he knew."

That had to be it. There was no other logical conclusion. He had known she had a gift, although how he had found out Nina could not comprehend. Lauren was intelligent but did not often date the sort of man who would see the potential in her "illness."

Glancing at her watch, Nina put everything back where she had found it and returned to her dorm. She put everything from her mind and studied, making notes and typing them out when she was finished. Lauren came home and did her own homework, neither of them speaking much as the afternoon drifted into evening. The next few days were much the same, an endless array of preoccupation as they devoted themselves to their classes. Lauren had missed weeks of school and was attempting to catch up. She spent half her evenings in the library with Garret, who had offered to help her, no doubt as an excuse just to sit next to her. Nina found them adorable but did not have much time for them, as she put her mind to her own work. The thesis topic was a continuing problem and she tore up her first four drafts, paging through her notebook of ideas and landing on something she had shared with neither Bell nor Walter. It sparked her imagination and she wrote freely for hours, applying as much logic and possibility to the process as she could, explaining how it worked and what purpose it would serve, discussing the nature of science and how the ideas of the great minds of the past had contributed to the overall body of work she proposed. She worked on it tirelessly in her free hours for two weeks as the world progressed around her and she shut out the bickering of her companions. She spent most nights in the dorm and did not often turn up at the lab, something that disappointed Walter, but he also understood obsession and let her be, not asking any questions.

Class with Bell continued in its usual vein, with him challenging them and her daring to answer him, sometimes in a contradictory manner. He liked her to argue with him so long as they did not hold it against one another at the end of the day. It was easier not to think too much about him when they were apart, although she did inform him of her dream and what else she had remembered. It was coming to her gradually, remnants of information that seeped into her mind and refused to be shaken, pieces of a puzzle she did not understand but that contributed to rising unease. Bell thought it might be prudent to make another attempt and Lauren dutifully allowed herself to be hooked up to the machine, lying back in her restraints without complaint, for she felt safe with them. Beneath the pain was an unusual kind of excitement as their minds connected and Nina saw more flashing images, the details of the room coming into focus under the hypnotic drugs Walter was administering. But this time something else happened. Lauren started to remember along with her and in the rush of fear that accompanied it, the room began to shake.

Walter snapped his head up from the machine and said, "Oh, this is _not good_… the machine won't be able to handle it!"

"Then take it off her!" Bell was already pulling the contraption off Nina's head, the wires threatening to entangle him as Lauren's fearful electrical current sent a massive surge through it. Sparks flew beneath his fingers and he cried out, dropping it. Lauren's body lifted slightly up and she flickered, her energy connecting with Nina's and pulling her through a haze of colors and sounds. This time it was different, far more powerful and Nina reeled from it, feeling as if she might throw up. Standing in a basement room with hanging plastic around them, Nina drew in her breath as she held out her hand. It was not transparent and from the nausea that assailed her, she knew they had literally transported somewhere else. It was as she remembered it from her dream, sinister and ominous, but more so due to the dried pool of blood under their feet. Her eyes searched the space and as a door shut somewhere in the distance, she gasped and clung to Lauren. "Take us back!" she pleaded. "Lauren, he's coming! Take us back to Walter!"

"I… I can't," stammered Lauren, but her hands were already shaking. She backed into the corner and slid to the floor, Nina going down with her. This was real. It was not an illusion. They were actually _there_.

A dark figure approached and Nina said, "You have to, _now_!"

Lauren cried out, covering her face with her hands. Nina could not see his face in the shadows but knew he had seen them, for he dropped whatever he was carrying and pushed through the plastic. His fingers fell on open air as they traveled still hanging on to one another and reappearing in the lab. It looked as if a tornado had gone through it, for there was not a bulb or a beaker that was not shattered, pages scattered the length of the room, a few still sliding across the floor from the wake of the implosion. Walter came running toward them, dripping blood from a cut on the side of his face. She felt Bell's hands close around her arm, attempting to pry her loose from Lauren. "It's all right, let go." He carried her to the examination table and sat her down on it, feeling her skull beneath her hair and looking into her eyes, which were still dilated. "Are you all right?"

She tried to answer him and couldn't; she felt as if she would faint and he laid her down, glancing at the others. Lauren was not as affected, having traveled before, and she and Walter looked on with concern.

"Is she going to be all right?"

"I think it's just the shock," Bell answered.

There was a pause as Nina's hand wrapped around his and his eyes softened as he looked at her. Walter had been repressing his reaction for as long as possible and now said gleefully, "I've never seen anything like it! You just vanished, her with you, and blew up half the lab! How _wonderful_!"

Startled, Lauren said, "I'm sorry."

"No, no, never mind that, everything can be fixed. You have shown us it is possible to leap from one place to the next. Oh, this is going to do my research a world of good. Where is my pencil? I must write down all the readings." He patted his lab coat and found a liquorish whip, which he stuck into his mouth as he went in search of a pencil.

Lauren drew her sweater closer around her and came to stand beside Bell, asking, "Is he always like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Bell smiled at her.

Their voices murmured in the background as Lauren told him what had happened, his concern evident that they had been seen. Nina was slowly coming around but did not attempt to rise, watching them interact through the haze that had descended over her mind.

"I do not think it is safe for either of you on campus," Bell said, "particularly not now. Nina said you had a sister here in town. Maybe it would be a good idea to spend a few days with her."

"What about Nina? She isn't going to want to leave, not so close to finals," Lauren said.

He brushed the hair out of Nina's face, his hand lingering. "Nina is not going to have a choice. There's a phone in the other room. Call your sister."

Footsteps faded into the background and whispering commenced, Bell leaving her for a short time. Nina was well enough to sit up, though her head felt like it had been smashed into a brick wall. Walter handed her an aspirin and a glass of water without comment and she took it, ruefully considering what remained of their machine. Hours of work, of tedious tampering and tweaking, now lay smoking on the floor. Remembering that Bell had been injured attempting to save her life, she slid off the table, steadying herself before she went to fetch a medical kit.

"It's not worth you making a fuss over it," he said when she tried to look at his hands.

"Shut up," she answered, and turned his palms upward. The electrical current had caught him on the inside of his wrists and she cringed at the nasty-looking burns it had left behind. Rolling up his sleeve she applied salve and wrapped his wrists, remarking, "Your students are going to be very intrigued by this tomorrow."

"Considering half of them probably think I am Victor Frankenstein, it will do them good to wonder." He allowed her to finish tying the bandage and her fingertips lingered, caressing his skin and sliding upward into his sleeve, her eyes lifting to explore his face. His fingers turned over and rested against her wrists, responding in the only manner he could and with equal desire. He suddenly leaned down and touched his lips to hers, the tremors in her intensifying as she responded with yearning. He was taller than her and she had to stand on her toes to reach him, bracing against his arms. Their bodies melted together and the kiss deepened, him urgently parting her lips beneath his as he wrapped his arms around her.

Behind them, Lauren reappeared and on seeing them turned around and went back into the office. She waited a few minutes and then stuck her head out, noticing that they had returned their attention to the medical kit, suddenly remembering that they were not alone. Walter came striding out of his office pulling on his coat and Lauren reappeared. "My brother-in-law is coming to pick me up," she said as if she had seen nothing. "I should get some things from our room."

Glancing at Nina, the professor said, "So should you."

She opened her mouth and at his warning glance, shut it again. She did not want to run away like a frightened child. Well, he might make her spend the night away from the dorm, but he could not prevent her from attending classes. His expression informed her that he was aware the battle had not yet been won but she allowed him to assist her with her coat without making any condescending remarks. Walter was to accompany them and they made an unusual trio tramping across the spacious lawn. He waited for them in front of the building as they went upstairs. Entering their room and flipping on the light, Lauren shoved various things into an overnight bag and said, "I won't mind missing a few more days of school. I just hope you are all right."

"You don't need to worry about me; the boys will hover over me constantly. It will prove annoying in the end." Nina opened her bureau drawer and pulled some clothes out, pushing them into a suitcase. She had no idea where she was going, but suspected she would be staying with Walter. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she felt Lauren looking at her and glanced over, blushing slightly at the amused look on her friend's face.

Lauren sat down on the edge of the bed. "Five bucks says you're staying with Dr. Bell. Make the most of it."

"Honestly, Lauren…"

"Oh, come on. I saw you two in the lab." She grinned and lifted her eyebrows suggestively. "Go for it. I mean it."

Choosing not to dignify her suggestion with a response, Nina placed the books she would need for the night's homework into her book bag and swung it over her shoulder. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?"

Rolling her eyes, Nina led the way downstairs. Lauren's brother was a little while in coming, since it was a bit of a drive, but soon a familiar car pulled up in front of the dorm and he got out. His dark hair was covered in a winter hat and she could tell he had spent most of the day outdoors from the color in his cheeks. "Marilyn is glad you've decided to take a few more days off," he said as he loaded Lauren's bags into the trunk. "She's looking forward to spending some time with you and discussing the nursery. I wanted blue but she says pink is more appropriate."

"Your daughter is not 'pink,' " said Lauren with conviction. "She's much too tough for that, you can see it in her face. I'm with you, blue all the way."

"Great, that's two against one, three if you count the kid." John high fived her and as she slid into the front seat, he looked across the top of the car and said, "Nina, we still want to see you at the house. Marilyn is insisting on it. She was quite taken by you." He waved and climbed in, slamming the door. He had a natural ease with Lauren as he smacked her hands away from the dials on the dash. She was attempting to change the radio station and made a face at him as they pulled out, turning to give Nina an exaggerated smile in parting.

"DO IT," she mouthed, and gave her a thumbs' up.

Laughing, for she could do nothing else, Nina turned to pick up her bag and found Walter had it. He marched her across the lot to his run-down station wagon and put it in the back. "Get in."

She did not argue as she slid inside. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He leaned down and connected the wires under the dash, having lost the keys the week before. The engine sputtered and came to life, the heater taking a little while to warm up. Nina suspected he held his car together by sheer force of will, as it had certainly seen enough abuse in its time. She watched the passing streets, glancing at a sign as they entered an apartment complex. She had never been there before and as he stopped the car and got out, she asked, "Where are we?"

"Bellie's and my apartment," he said. "It's a bit of a mess."

Her eyebrows went up. "I'm staying with you, _both _of you?"

"I was in the dorm until six months ago but this flat came up for rent and we needed more secure storage space than just the lab, so yes, you're staying with us… unless, of course, you're too afraid of what the _landlady_ might say." He smirked as he made his way up the stairs, leaving her to glance around surreptitiously and follow. He knew her too well to suspect she would let that stop her. Turning a key in the lock, he let them in and switched on the light.


	5. Chapter 5

It was an interesting blend of their things and personal habits, for the arrangement in the apartment was attractive and well thought out. Bell was a minimalist and preferred classic designs, but Walter's journals, notebooks, and papers were all over the place, along with a scattered assortment of half-empty food containers. Nina shut the door and removed her coat, setting her bag down as she peered around the space. Her fingertips trailed across a table she knew Bell had picked out, for he had an eye for detail. "Elizabeth won't mind me being here?" she asked.

"Oh, no, she knows you have a thing for William." Moving into the kitchen, Walter turned on more lights and added, "I suppose you're hungry after your ordeal. I'll make something. It's highly important to keep the blood sugar up after experiments."

She ran her hand along the back of the couch and went into the hallway. She could tell at a glance which was Walter's room, as it was still full of boxes of papers he considered too important to leave in the lab. He was brilliant but a total slob. He was talking in the other room and she ignored him, twisting inward the door across the hall and flipping on the light. She hadn't known quite what to expect from Bell's space but found it immaculate, the walls decorated in only one piece of art, an abstract of a tall building, all glass and chrome.

"Massive Dynamic," said a deep voice behind her and she jumped.

Bell moved past her into the room with a knowing smile, dropping his coat across the back of his desk chair. "At least that is what it looks like in my mind's eye. It's a conceptual and something to remind me of my purpose in life, should it ever be forgotten. I still need a logo." He folded his arms and looked around at her, more at ease than she had expected at having her in his personal space. "What do you think?"

Leaning against the doorway, she asked, "About Massive Dynamic or the apartment?"

"Either one. I'm afraid you will have to take the couch, but at least you'll be off campus."

Walter was now singing anagrams in the kitchen.

Nina tilted her head and asked softly, "William, is this a good idea?"

Ruefully, he said, "I don't see how we have much choice. Lauren said you were seen. This is not just about her anymore, it's about you. If he thinks you can identify him, even if you can't, there is no telling what he might do." He rocked back on his heels and then came toward her, his voice softening. "Is there anything you can remember that might help us discern where his laboratory is? I have been wracking my brain attempting to figure out how we can bring the police into this but so far we have nothing more to go on than fringe science."

"It was a basement room, bad lighting, narrow windows, nothing that sets it apart; I couldn't hear anything." She looked up at him and felt the tension in both of them, the temptation, and suspected their only resistance came in the form of Walter in the other room. Bell backed away from her slightly and rested his hand on his desk, Nina staring at his fingers as she remembered how he had drawn him to her, pressing her against him. She smelled something in the kitchen and knowing it would be better to leave Bell for awhile, went to assist him in finishing the spaghetti. Walter could be a good cook when he put his mind to it and refused to let her help, so instead she perched on the nearest stool and watched, sneaking bites of mozzarella when he was not looking.

"Will you let me set the table, at least?"

"If you can find it," he answered.

The dining room table was covered in paperwork. Nina cleared it aside and dug silverware and plates out of the cupboard. It was a small enough space that it provided an intimate setting, and she settled into a chair as Bell reappeared and sat down beside her. This time it was his knee that brushed hers and she did not move away, slipping her feet out of her shoes. Walter served them and they ate, their conversation soon shifting from Lauren into more serious scientific pursuits. She loved to watch them interact, their eyes burning with intensity as they argued their way through differences of opinion. Lifting her water goblet, she brushed her bare foot against his leg and watched his reaction, for it caused him to lose concentration for an instant. He did not look at her and she smiled into her glass, one brow twitching as she got up to clear the table.

Walter left them and shut the door of his room, soon the sound of his turntable coming through the wall. Bell picked up their glasses and brought them to the sink, in the semi-dark kitchen. "He'll be out for hours, smoking weed and listening to that ghastly music of his," he said.

Her hands in the warm water, Nina smiled. It was odd to find them in such a domestic setting, unusual that they could get along well enough to share the rent. William would soon have to make do on his own, as Walter would be moving out again in a few months. She sensed him behind her and was surprised to feel his hands at her waist. He turned her around and pressed her gently against the edge of the counter, kissing her lingeringly. He tasted of the wine they had sampled with dinner, tenderness in his grip as he drew their bodies together. Nina relaxed in his arms, the beat of his heart increasing against hers. His lips parted hers playfully, teasing her as he ran his fingers up and down her spine. She shuddered with delight. "You are so beautiful," he said. "You make me want to forget."

She knew what he meant. "I could always transfer," she said.

"And leave me with all those morons in my classroom? Please, never leave me." He kissed her again and with reluctance drew away, turning into the living room. It astounded her that he could be so practical, a moth hovering near the flame but never singeing itself. She leaned against the doorway and watched him make up a bed for her on the couch, thinking it would be much more fun to sleep in his room. But she had to admire his restraint even if at the same time she resented it and did not remark on it as he finished. "There," he said, "it only needs you in it." The curve of her mouth as she considered his intentional choice of words was not lost on him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, _Professor _Bell," she answered.

In his absence, she sat down to study for awhile, soon becoming so absorbed that she did not notice the lateness of the hour. Only when she had finished did she glance up and see it was well past one in the morning. Pushing her books aside, she slid down into the coverlet and shut off the light. It was not as comfortable as her own bed but she did manage to go to sleep and awakened early the next morning. Light footsteps moved around in the kitchen and the scent of toast wafted to her. She drew no attention to the fact that she was aware of his presence, her skin tingling as he passed by the couch and reached out to pull the coverlet higher on her shoulder. His fingers lingered for a moment against her hair and he continued on his way, drawing the front door closed behind him and turning the key in the latch.

Nina kicked off the covers and went to the window, pushing aside the curtain to watch as he climbed into his car, a piece of toast clamped in his teeth. She had a free period that morning and was in no rush to get ready, showering and eating long before Walter emerged. He was a habitual late sleeper unless working on a project. He drove her to school and let her off in front of the building. She made it into Bell's class just before the bell rang and as she settled into her usual seat, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Where's Lauren?" Garret whispered.

"Family emergency," she answered.

His disappointment was evident as he sat back and Bell entered. Nina was preoccupied most of the day and returned to her dorm to grab a few more things, thinking ruefully what her mother might say at her sharing an apartment with two men. This amused her more than it should have and she was in good humor as she headed downstairs and crossed behind the building to meet Bell on the other side of campus, where they would not be seen. Walter had decided to spend the evening with Elizabeth, so she and Bell ordered in Chinese and sat going over the blueprints to his machine.

"Can any of it be salvaged?" she asked.

"Most of it, although Lauren's energy field did not help," Bell answered. He pushed aside a sheet of paper and uncovered a napkin with a design scrawled on it. "What's this?"

Glancing down at it, she turned red. She hadn't meant for him to see that. "That's… nothing."

"No, I like it, is the M for Massive Dynamic?"

They smiled at one another and their gaze held for a long moment, until he looked away again. "Walter wondered if the machine could not be modified and expanded on, to retrieve information from dead bodies. It's an idea we have discussed in the past, the belief that even if life departs there is still a remnant of truth trapped inside."

He sorted through the pages and showed one to her, attempting to ignore the fact that she was still staring at him. Nina reached over and put her hand on his knee, expressing her intention in a delicate way. Caressing her face with his eyes, Bell considered for a long moment and then removed her hand. It was a gentle rebuff and in an attempt to conceal her disappointment, she got up to take their coffee cups into the kitchen. She lowered them into the sink and stood there for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. She felt his hands against her waist and the warmth of his breath as he murmured into her hair, "It isn't that I don't want to. What I want is to carry you into my room and make violent love to you, but we can't, not yet." His fingers caressed the strip of skin between the bottom of her shirt and the top of her skirt, his mouth lingering at her throat until he moved away. Nina did not go after him, attempting to regain her composure. She was almost grateful when the phone rang and answered it automatically, forgetting it wasn't her house.

"Nina?" said the voice on the other end. "Is Lauren there with you?"

All former emotions were forgotten as a knot grew in her stomach. Nina turned around to look at William, who had returned to the blueprints. Her voice sounded strange. "No, isn't she there with you?"

Marilyn sounded mildly panicked. "I thought she was but she isn't in the guest room. John is out and I can't leave the baby. She said she was tired and just going to lie down."

Rising hysteria was in her voice. Nina caught his attention and said calmly, "It's all right, Marilyn. You know your sister, sometimes she likes to sneak out. We will find her."

Bell got up from the couch and reached for his coat, taking hers off the stand as well. Nina hung up the phone and said, "How did he find her?"

"How did he know in the first place?" he answered, and drew open the door.

Snow was falling as they descended the stairs to the waiting car, not caring who glanced out the window and saw them. He was driving even before they knew where they were going, Nina wracking her brain. "Where would he go? Where would he take her? Why would she leave the house?"

His foot hit the brake suddenly and they screeched to a stop. Nina looked over at him and found he had turned white. "Garret," he said.

"What?"

"His thesis proposal was on whether it would be theoretically possible to tap into another's abilities and use them to your own advantage. I gave him a D- and told him to back up his suppositions with science. It's Garret."

A chill ran down her spine. "I told him Lauren had a family emergency."

Bell put the car in reverse and backed up to the nearest side street, turning around and heading in the opposite direction. "I know where his laboratory is. He showed it to me not long after he joined my class. I hope we're not too late."

It was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, the snowstorm increasing as they pulled to a stop in the parking lot. "That's his car," Nina said. She was attempting not to panic. The steps were slick and the door locked from the inside when they reached the bottom. Bell kicked it in, entering a space cluttered with boxes and overflowing with blueprint designs for machines. Nina picked up one of them and her heart caught in her throat. Something moved in the back and he held out his hand to stop her. "Stay close to me," he said, and moved through the gloom. Nothing was familiar for a time and then she saw heavy plastic hanging from the ceiling. Lights were on behind it, bright, and in their midst she could make out a still form on an operating table.

"No," she said and in spite of his warning, pushed through.

Lauren was unmoving, her blond head tilted to the side and a dried streak of blood at the corner of her mouth. She was cold. Nina let out a whimper and Bell caught her as she staggered back, pressing his hand to the girl's throat and not finding a pulse. There was blood everywhere. Nina covered her mouth with her hand and backed into the corner, sinking to the floor. Bell turned his head, listening; his profile impressive beneath the bright lights. "Garret," he said, "I know you're here. Come out where I can see you."

"It was not a bad theory, Professor," said a gentle voice from the shadows. "It's just that I underestimated Lauren. She could not travel this time. I gave her too many sedatives."

"Oh, I'm sure her death has nothing to do with the fact that you sliced her open," said Bell. His hand closed around the scalpel on the tray at his side. "What were you thinking?"

Movement in the darkness, his presence causing Nina to come out of her grief as fear took hold of her.

"I was so excited when I gained admittance to Harvard. I had heard how you inspired your students; three different degrees from scientific colleges, multiple prize-winning essays in all the best journals, and a prestigious teaching position and you are not yet forty. You are considered one of the most respected men in the field, if not the most controversial. I read all your essays in the science journals… your theories on alternate universes and whether or not it might be possible to change past events challenged me to broaden my horizons. I looked forward to meeting you and my first day, you _humiliated _me. You _dismissed _me."

His voice was moving around, indicating that he was pacing as he kept out of sight.

Bell lifted his brow and said, "I humiliate _all_ my students. It is the only way to make them think, to force them to defend their theories with science and facts rather than supposition. You cannot merely dream, you must theorize and experiment. But Garret, that does not mean murder. What were your intentions, to attempt to use her energy to travel as she does?"

"That and so much more," said the voice. "You don't understand, do you, how her nervous system works? I know you are aware that she can travel, not just her mind but her body as well. She took Nina with her last time. But Lauren was _special_, far more so than you realize."

This brought Nina up from her corner and she said, "So special that you murdered her? You psychotic _bastard_! I _trusted_ you! I was _kind_ to you!"

Beneath them, the floor began to shake and instruments slid around on the operating tray as it rattled. Garret appeared behind her out of thin air and caught her around the waist, dragging her back from Bell as he pressed a knife to her throat. "As you can see," he said, "my theory was not without merit after all. Lauren didn't understand her gift, that it could be used at will. I'm sorry she had to die, that she was not strong enough to withstand my experiment, but she is at peace now."

His eyes shifted to the still form on the table and the knife wavered against her neck. Nina tried not to move or react to the concern in Bell's eyes as he held out his hand. "You don't want to hurt Nina. There has been enough blood tonight. You made your point. I think you have enough proof for your thesis."

Garret laughed. "It's not about the thesis anymore. This is about you, Professor Bell. This is about your failure. This is about the woman you love, or at least the one you're banging after class."

Nina shut her eyes, feeling a drop of blood forming beneath the knife point as it penetrated her skin. "You're right," she heard Bell say in a calm voice. "This _is _about me. I humiliated you. I gave you a bad grade. It's me you want to hurt. She had nothing to do with it. Let her go."

"No," said Garret.

The tray began to vibrate. Nina watched as the room shifted and shook around them, his energy building. Bell could do nothing to stop them and out of instinct, she gripped his arm, the one around her waist. He jerked them both into nothingness, a swirl of color and sounds as she concentrated. They were whipped in one direction and then the next, for she was still connected to Lauren's energy and it now flowed through him. Nina was stronger than he anticipated and took control, guiding their destination as her mind conjured forth the memory that was strongest. They materialized on a lonely country road, standing in the center of the pavement, and he released her, demanding, "How in the hell did you do that?"

She backed away from him, her timing immaculate as the ghosts of her and Lauren flickered before them. A car sped around the corner, hit the patch of ice, and skidded. Garret could not get out of the way fast enough and it hit him, his body flipping up and over the trunk as it went down the embankment. He landed with a painful crunch and did not move, Nina glancing at him and finding his eyes blankly staring into the trees, blood running out his mouth. Turning, she ran for the broken railing, peering into the ravine below where the car tires were still spinning in the air. Nina made her way to the driver's side, her heart sinking as she saw from the angle of the bodies that neither of the passengers was alive. Snow blew around them and she shivered, glancing up as she felt someone watching her.

On the top of the hill near the tree line stood a man in a dark coat and fedora, his attention fixed on her.

"Wait," she said, but he turned and vanished into the trees.

Scrambling up after him, she followed but he was much quicker, darting through the trees.

"Stop!" she shouted. "Please!"

He ran around a thicket and as she rounded it she saw a farmhouse gleaming in the distance. Nina had no explanation for how she had gotten there and no way of returning home or even of knowing where she was. She pushed through the snow and knocked on the door, relieved when it opened and a woman answered. She had prepared an explanation and was not able to give it, for the woman gaped and fumbled with the screen door, opening it outward. "You're that girl from the news," she said, "the one who's missing. Come in!"

"What?" Nina entered, stomping the snow from her boots.

"Herb!" shouted the woman. "Herb, call the police! That girl from the news just turned up on our doorstep!"

"I don't understand," Nina said as she rounded the corner into the living room and stopped. The dusty television in the corner showed a grainy image, a news report accompanied by her picture. She felt her legs give out and she sank onto the ottoman the astonished, plump farmer shoved toward her. The news anchor continued, "… has been missing for twelve days. So far police have no leads on the man who kidnapped her, a fellow student at Harvard. He has been implicated in the death of another student, Lauren Harrison. Local authorities are asking anyone who may have seen either of them to call the number at the bottom of the screen."

Nina was handed a hot cup of tea and stared at it. "I need to call someone," she said, still in shock.

The woman glanced into the hall where her husband was on the phone attempting to convince the police he was telling the truth. "In a moment, dear," she said.

"Where am I?"

"You're about an hour outside Boston."

Her husband hung up the phone. "There's a squad car on the way. What happened?"

"There was a car accident… he's… dead, about a half mile down the road."

She would figure out how to explain why they were walking on the road in the first place later. Pressing the cup of tea into the housewife's hand, she got up and went to the phone. Drawing in her breath, she dialed. It rang and rang and then he picked up. He sounded tired, worried, strained. She knew he had continued to teach classes, that no one must know anything was wrong. She wondered how Walter had held up.

"William?"

He demanded, "Where are you? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

She heard him sigh with relief and knew he was resting his head against the wall. "I thought we had lost you this time. We have been searching everywhere for you, even the archives at the library."

In case she had jumped back in time. How ironic, that she might have been born in one century only to die in another. Nina told him where he was and he promised he would come for her. "Walter has been beside himself," he said. "I told the police most of what happened, as much as they would believe. Stick mostly to the truth. Nina…"

His voice caught and she understood. "It's all right, William. You don't have to say it."

… even if she wanted him to.


	6. Chapter 6

She waited for the police in the living room, staring at the images on the television screen with a dull sense of awareness. Twelve days. She had jumped twelve days into the future, had been nonexistent in the lives of everyone who knew and loved her, somehow managing to control her destination with perfect precision. Maybe Lauren had been right, and there was something different about her.

_Lauren_.

For the first time it hit her, and Nina felt the grief. She drew in a shuddering breath and lowered her head into her hands. Her companion was kind and permitted her to draw in shuddering breaths, patting her shoulder and saying, "There, there," for she knew it had been an ordeal. The police soon arrived and she was treated carefully, one of the young officers asking for her statement when he was certain she was unharmed. Nina told them what they wanted to hear, that she could not remember much after having been taken, and they drove her to the hospital to run some rudimentary tests. He seemed less inclined to believe her than his partner, her, regarding her with faint suspicion. He stayed with her as his companion got out of the squad car in front of the hospital and Nina looked at him.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Lt. Broyles." He had dark skin like polished stone and could not have been much older than she was.

Her brow went up slightly and she gave him a tired smile. "And you think I am lying, don't you, Broyles?"

"Yes, ma'am; about what, I don't know, but you're not telling the entire truth."

She leaned her head against the window, tired and feeling ill. "You think I had something to do with her death?"

"Not with her death but with his… maybe." He had a deep voice and impressed her with his tenacity, for he had sharper instincts than they gave him credit for. "There are a few things that don't add up, like how he was able to disappear for so long, or where he kept you, or the fact that you don't remember anything that happened over the last week and a half. That is convenient. Not that I blame you, after what he did to your friend. I would have run over him myself."

"So you think I did what, threw him in front of the car?" Nina felt the slightest chill creep up her spine, for he was dangerously near the truth. He considered her in the rear view mirror for a moment and shrugged. Her car door opened and she stepped out at the invitation of his partner. Across the parking lot a familiar voice shouted her name and she turned as Walter ran toward them. The police let him through and until his arms were around her, she had not realized how much she had missed him or how she had feared she would never see him again. "Oh, thank God," he said, drawing back to look at her. "When William told me…" His head rested against hers and he said softly, "We've done nothing but bicker for the last twelve days. He's been an utter bear."

This made her smile.

Keeping one hand where they could see it, the other slid into her pocket. "Inject it," he whispered. "It will make them think you've been given enough tranquilizers to knock out an elephant over the last week. I will wait for you in the lobby. Bell is here too, speaking with the police. He has spent a lot of time with them of late." He released her as a female officer came to escort her into the hospital and glancing across the parking lot, Nina saw the tall, slender man she loved conversing with two officers. He saw her and hesitated but returned his focus to their faces as he deliberately refrained from revealing his emotions. She had seen the look in his eyes and it warmed her as she entered the building. Nina slid her hand into her pocket and slipped the cap off the needle, waiting until the nurse put her in a room and asked her to wait. A curtain was pulled across for privacy and rolling up her arm, Nina positioned the needle where he was most likely to have injected her and drove it in. Walter had not been kidding. The effect of his drug cocktail was powerful and immediate, making her feel slightly dizzy as she dropped the syringe into a nearby trash container filled with similar instruments. She climbed back up onto the waiting table and fought to stay awake, putting on a brave face when the doctor came in.

"Tired?" he asked.

She nodded.

"This won't take long."

He rolled up her sleeve and drew some blood, checking her vitals. He examined her, looking for indications of abuse. Nina was surprised at the toll traveling through time had done on her. She was beginning to bruise and it was painful to breathe. "What on earth did he do to you?" the doctor asked. "It looks as if he beat you half senseless. You really don't remember?"

She shook her head.

"Well, that may be for the best."

He clipped his pen to the clipboard and went around the curtain, his voice murmuring with another one, much deeper and more serious. Nina felt dazed but her exhaustion faded as Bell entered the space. Her arms went around him and he held her close but gently, breathing into her hair. "I thought I had lost you," he said.

"Take me home."

Arm around her, he assisted her down and walked her out, putting her in the car and sliding into the front. Nina lay down against the seat and as Walter got into the front, she asked, "What did you give me?"

"Oh, it's my own special little concoction, quite potent but harmless." He smiled at her.

They argued all the way home, first about one thing and then another, and for once she did not tell them to shut up. It was pleasant to listen to them as she went to sleep. She barely stirred when they stopped and Bell carried her indoors, taking her into his room and placing her on the bed. Drowsy but conscious, she felt him remove her shoes and cover her with a blanket. "William," she murmured and held out her hand to him. His fingers curled around hers and at her invitation he lay down beside her. Nina rested her head against his chest and went back to sleep.

She did not stir until almost two the next afternoon, waking to find light streaming through the far windows. Turning over, she found him seated in a chair nearby, watching her. Twelve days had passed for him; for her, it had only been a matter of hours and the memory of Lauren's death was still vivid in her mind. She drew in a shuddering breath and he took her into his arms, letting her tremble and dissolve into tears against his chest. She cried until there was nothing left, no emotion that could be drawn out of her, until her head hurt so bad she could no longer think. He rocked her back and forth, murmuring words of comfort that were meaningless but quieted her, allowing her to experience her grief.

Memorandums for Lauren were spread throughout the campus, candles, flowers, and photographs of her tucked into a main corner as a shrine. No one mentioned Garret. And as much as she hated what he had done, Nina felt sorry for that, for the parents too ashamed to release the details of his funeral to the newspapers, for his friends who had to pretend they had never known him but mourned all the same. It all came out, or at least the parts the public would believe, that he had been obsessed with a classmate and attempted to conduct an experiment on her on two separate occasions, the second leading to her death. He was considered a "madman."

The one person Nina dreaded seeing most was Marilyn and when the day came, she asked William to go with her. He agreed, each of them sharing a burden of responsibility as they parked in front of the house and rang the bell. Marilyn welcomed them in and embraced Nina, leading her into the front room. Photos of her sister lined the mantle and the baby was cooing in her bassinet. Marilyn looked older than when Nina had seen her last, more tired, the lines deeper around her face with sadness as she said, "I'm so glad you came. I wanted to tell you that… I'm sorry; I know you must blame yourself. I put too much responsibility on you to look after her. There was nothing you could do."

Nina did not know what to say and looked at the floor. Marilyn moved away from her as the baby started to make a fuss and picked the infant up, rocking her. "I want to thank you for being so kind to her. Lauren thought the world of you. She was always talking about how determined you were; how hard you studied. I think she wanted to be like you in her own way, which is why my husband and I would be honored if you would be Olivia's godmother."

This lifted her eyes from the carpet and her mouth dropped open.

Marilyn was smiling at her. "I know it's an enormous responsibility and you don't have to do it, but Lauren would have wished it. If anything happens to us, I don't want her going to a foster home."

The floor dropped out from beneath her and Nina was grateful to be seated. William's fingers closed over hers in a gesture of reassurance. "I don't know what to say," she answered.

"Say you will do it, or at least think about it."

The doorbell rang and craning her neck to see a delivery van parked in front of the house, Marilyn said, "I need to get that. My husband is expecting something. Would you hold her for me?" She lowered the baby into her arms and left the room.

Bell reached forward to tuck the blanket beneath the baby's chin, his brown eyes warming as he looked at them both. "Holding her suits you," he remarked.

The baby was staring up at her with enormous, contented eyes and her mouth curved into a smile as she gurgled. Nina could have sworn she was remembered, or perhaps it was the light streaming off her auburn hair that struck the child with such delight. "I don't want to do this," she said.

"Then don't. I'm sure they will understand."

She chewed on her lip and he offered his finger to the baby. She latched onto it and continued to grin at them, moving her tiny arms and legs up in down in jerky movements. The murmur of her mother's voice was distant in the background. William leaned his head against hers and said, "It is all right to feel intimidated, but Lauren wanted you to be part of this family. Whatever you may think of yourself in all of this, they have faith in you, and so do I."

He kissed the top of her head and stood as Marilyn returned. "Sorry about that, John had a few boxes shipped over from the base. I think he's being transferred again, hopefully somewhere warm."

"Nina and I should go," Bell said, holding out his hand. "I am so glad to have met you."

Marilyn shook his hand and turned to Nina as he left the room, granting them privacy. Nina returned the baby to her mother's arms. "I am honored," she said. "And if you ever need me to, I will take care of her."

"Thank you, Nina." Putting her arm around her, Marilyn said, "For everything."

Understanding passed between them and Nina went out to the car, turning to look back up at the house. An eerie feeling came over her. It was if Lauren's ghost crept up behind her and whispered, "_Look after them. Look after her. Make her strong_."

"I will," she said.

Lauren smiled at her in her imagination and drifted into nothingness as Nina got into the car. They pulled away from the curb and Nina watched the house in the rear view mirror until it faded from sight. Whatever happened, she would make sure the child would be able to defend herself.

It was a nice name, she thought. Olivia. Olivia Dunham.

THE END.


End file.
